Electric vehicles (EV), which can include all-electric vehicles and hybrids such as gas/electric vehicles, are growing in popularity among consumers. These vehicles offer an environmentally friendly alternative to vehicles powered exclusively by petroleum products. In particular, EVs have lower emissions of smog precursor gases, and they emit little to no greenhouse gases which have been linked to ‘global warming’. In addition, as the cost of petroleum products has increased, the use of electric vehicles has become more economically beneficial.
Modernly, nearly all EVs include one or more on-board batteries for storing the electrical energy that is necessary to drive one or more electric motors and produce vehicle locomotion. One technique for recharging the on-board batteries includes connecting the vehicle to a permanently installed recharging station which receives its power from the electrical grid. For example, most EV operators have a charging station at the location where the car is usually stored, such as the operator's home or business. Unfortunately, access to additional recharge stations is somewhat limited at the present time in most areas. Although the range that an EV is able to travel before its battery must be recharged has improved in recent years, EVs still require a recharge during trips of moderate to long duration.
As electric vehicles become more common, for many EV operators, their electric vehicle may be their only vehicle. As such, many of these EV operators will desire to use their electric vehicle for all of their transportation needs including relatively long trips such as vacations, etc. To increase the useful range of the electric vehicle, operators will need to access charging stations at locations other than their primary vehicle storage sites. In some cases, there may be a need to provide a charging station on a temporary basis, for example, to provide coverage at a particular event. Alternatively, it may be desirable to provide a temporary charging station at a remote location while a more permanent charging station is being installed. In some instances, the temporary location requiring a charging station may not have ready access to the electrical grid. In other instances, the cost of providing a permanently installed charging station may be prohibitive or the lead-time associated with a permanent installation may be unsatisfactory.
In light of the above, it is an object of the present invention to provide a system for effectively and efficiently charging electric vehicles that can be flexibly moved to a variety of different locations where EV charging is needed. Another object of the present invention is to provide a system and method for quickly establishing an EV charging station at a location without requiring access to power from the electrical grid. Yet another object of the present invention is to provide a portable, self-contained system that is capable of providing renewable energy from solar arrays to charge an EV. Still another object of the present invention is to provide a system and method for reconfiguring a solar array into a retracted (stowed) configuration to facilitate transport of the array and to minimize adverse wind effects. An additional object of the present invention is to provide a self-contained renewable battery charger that is easy to use, is relatively simple to manufacture, and is comparatively cost effective.